What happened
During a night-time training exercise, a formation consisting of nine Antonov AN-32 aircraft, operated by the Indian Air Force, departed from Chandigarh Airport. While the formation was in the cruise phase of flight, a spatial error occurred involving the third aircraft in the group. The pilot of this aircraft misidentified the lead plane as the second aircraft in the formation and attempted to adjust his position to close the gap.
This maneuver led to a mid-air collision between the aircraft registered K2669 and another Antonov AN-32, registered K3055, which was flying to the right of the third plane. Following the impact, both aircraft lost control and entered an uncontrolled descent. The two planes crashed into a wheatfield situated near Boothgarh. The impact resulted in the total destruction of both airframes and eight fatalities, representing the entire crew of both aircraft.
Findings
- The collision was triggered by a pilot error involving formation positioning.
- The third aircraft in the formation misidentified the lead aircraft's position, leading to an improper corrective maneuver.